Freebie: The ultimate wedding hire checklist!
It’s no secret that planning a wedding can feel extremely overwhelming. From choosing a venue to creating a guest list and managing your budget, there are so many moving parts involved in the wedding planning process. But when it comes to furniture and decor hire, we ‘re here to make things easy for you!
If you’re currently trying to figure out exactly what you might need to hire for your special day, keep reading as we share our ultimate furniture hire checklist below, along with some tips, tricks and timelines to consider.
Furniture Hire Checklist For Your Wedding
To figure out your furniture hire requirements (without accidentally forgetting anything!), you’ll need to think about your entire wedding day, breaking this up into 3 main components: ceremony, cocktail hour and reception.
You can use our helpful furniture hire checklists below to determine exactly what you might need for each element of your day, ticking them off as you go along. Once you’ve narrowed down your furniture requirements, you can then browse our hire range online and contact us with your wish-list, so we can check availability and prepare a quote. Easy as!
Of course, depending on your wedding venue and the style of your wedding, the items on these checklists might not all apply to you - simply use them as a guideline to help you get started.
Wedding Ceremony Furniture
Ceremony arbour, backdrop or rug
Ceremony chairs or bench seats for guests
Signing table and signing chairs ← (Note: Your celebrant may supply these pieces, but they might not fit the “look” you have in mind, so be sure to double check this prior to the day)
Directional or welcome signage
An easel or stand to display your signage
An occasional table to hold your ceremony programs, confetti, etc
A basket or vessel to hold your ceremony programs, confetti, etc
A vase for your signing table flower arrangement
An occasional table or service bar with drink tubs and glassware for post-ceremony refreshments
Umbrellas for shade
Cocktail Wedding Furniture
A mix of cocktail seating. This could include lounge settings and sofa packages, cafe tables and chairs, dry bars and stools, picnic rugs + coffee tables. (Not sure how much furniture you'll need? Try to accommodate seating for between 50 - 80% of your guests.
A service bar for drinks (for over 80 guests, we recommend at least 2 bars)
Glassware for drinks (Ask your caterer for the most appropriate quantity of glassware to order for your guest numbers. This will depend on the alcohol you are serving, the drink preferences of your guests, and the washing facilities available during your celebration)
Drink tubs
Signage for your drinks menu
Signage for other miscellaneous things like lawn games, restrooms, etc
A grazing table for antipasto platters or other food service
Umbrellas for shade
Cushions, rugs and textiles for lounge furniture
Tealights or candle holders for dry bars and coffee tables
Vases for any floral arrangements
Fencing if required
Wedding Reception Furniture
Dining tables - another thing to consider here is the style of your menu, and if you want a feasting table that’s a little bit wider to allow extra room on the table (all of our tables are a bit wider to allow for this)
Dining chairs
Dinner and side plates
Cutlery - entrée, mains and dessert cutlery
Glassware - champagne, cocktail, wine, beer and water glasses
Tablecloths
Napkins
Charger plates
Tealight candleholders or lanterns
Vases for flowers
Gift/guestbook table
Wishing well or cards box to hold cards
Cake table or dessert station
Cake stand or platters for desserts
Occasional table for guestbook/guest favours/other miscellaneous items
An easel or stand to hold your menu/seating plan
Lectern for speeches and microphone/PA system
Photobooth backdrop
Bridal table backdrop
Wedding Hire Tips
Before you finalise your furniture hire checklist, keep these considerations in mind:
Some wedding venues are a blank canvas where you'll need to bring absolutely everything in, while other venues might have inclusions like tables and chairs. If you're relying on the venue for any items, make sure you double-check exactly what's included (and if it meets your requirements) before you tick them off your list. For example, you may have organised a feasting menu with shared platters, but haven’t realised that your venue tables are narrow trestles at only 76cm wide.
Re-using items can be a great way to save a few dollars (for example, repurposing your signing table as a cake table, or moving chairs from your ceremony to your reception). But if this is your plan, make sure you’ve designated this task to a trustworthy person like your stylist, or wedding or venue coordinator. Remember, there’s so much happening on the day of your wedding - you don’t want to put this responsibility solely on your Aunty Karyn who then gets swept away for family photos and doesn't have time to move 32 chairs over to your reception!
Individual items like dining chairs, glassware, cutlery, and napkins all depend on your final headcount, so you might be unsure about how many to book. We recommend booking for the total you are inviting (and don’t forget yourselves in this count), then can amend 40 or more days out once you have your RSVPs in. For cutlery and plates, we do recommend you allow for about 5 extra pieces over your confirmed guest count. This means if someone drops their cutlery (bound to happen), then the caterer isn’t having to take this back to wash and return.
Try to minimise the number of different hire suppliers where possible, so you don’t double up on delivery and pickup costs, or have to run around town picking things up and returning them. You’ll also save a bunch of time trying to coordinate multiple suppliers! Organising all your furniture through one company can help you save some extra dollars and streamline the hiring process.
WHEN SHOULD YOU HIRE FURNITURE FOR YOUR WEDDING?
Now that you know exactly what you need to hire, when should you start booking it in? It depends on the date of your wedding and the pieces you’re wanting to hire. Some of our items book out faster than others, while others can be added to your order closer to the date. As a very general guide, 10-12 months out is ideal, otherwise, 7-8 months out is when you should be finalising your hire.
OUR NUMBER ONE TIP?
Ask the experts! If you’re feeling stuck or confused when it comes to hiring furniture for your wedding, then just ask us! Remember, this is what we do and love love and we're always happy to answer any questions you might have. Our friendly team can chat through your ideas and help you put together the perfect furniture plan for your wedding. You can contact us whenever you're ready or have a nosey at our social media galleries.
Happy planning!